


Island of Death

by fangirlfiction



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Ghosts, Multi, Spooky Island, halloween fic, spoopy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 01:47:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21609442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlfiction/pseuds/fangirlfiction
Summary: Warnings: Mentions of blood, injuries. This is spoopy fic, so some horror elements are present.Prompt: My prompt was “What was that?” for Attie’s Are You Afraid of the Dark Challenge on tumblrSummary: Bucky Barnes says he isn’t afraid of anything. But when Bucky, Steve, and the reader all get stuck on a haunted island, they’ll find out if Bucky really is unafraid, or just a big ol scaredy cat.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader
Kudos: 25





	Island of Death

**Author's Note:**

> helloooooo angels! first off, let me address the elephant in the room. yes this is not Sustained, and yes I promise it is still coming. I hit a little writers block for the fic, but I’ve been feeling reinspired for it lately. second, I love spoopy season so this challenge was a must for me. this fic is kind of cheesy but I think it’s fun and i like it. let me know what you think!!! i love you allllll 🖤

The sound of screams fills the media room of the Compound.

As a particularly gory scene plays out in front of you, you close your eyes and turn your head away. Next to you, Bucky is watching the screen with an unimpressed expression, and beside him, you watch as Steve grimaces. Bucky turns to pass you the bowl of popcorn, catching your scared expression. He laughs and scoots closer to you, “Oh c’mon, it’s not that bad.”

“Yeah, right. A deranged man with a chainsaw brutally murdering people is definitely not that bad. Especially when you consider the fact that it’s based on a true story,” you deadpan. 

Bucky just shrugs and turns back to the movie, and you finally uncover your eyes and watch as the next scene unfolds. 

When the movie finally ends, you let out a quiet sigh of relief. Steve reaches for the remote and turns the TV off, before turning to you with a look of confusion etched on his face. “Why do you watch these movies anyways? You spend half the movie covering your eyes.”

Bucky lets out a sharp laugh, and you level a glare at them both. “Maybe because I like being scared? We do spend half of our time working a job that puts us in danger, and sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that I can feel fear.”

Steve nods in approval, and you turn to look at Bucky. “Besides, I think it’s Bucky we should be worried about. He looks bored during every horror film we watch.”

“Maybe because they’re not scary.”

Your eyebrows lift in surprise and you lean over to look around Bucky and lock eyes with Steve. He gives you an equally concerned look. You look back at Bucky and give him a serious look. “Are you a serial killer? How can you say the movies we watch aren’t scary?”

Bucky’s voice drops to a soft whisper, “I stopped getting scared a long time ago. I had to, because Hydra took advantage of fear. Punished me for it.”

Concern etches over your features, and you and Steve both move closer to Bucky, ready to comfort him. You feel guilt washing over you for bringing it up, and you reach out and grab his hand, voice remorseful as you whisper, “Bucky, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

You are cut off by Bucky’s abrupt laugh, and he gasps out between laughter, “I’m just messing with you, horror movies have never scared me.”

“Bucky!” You shove his shoulder lightly, jaw dropped in indignation. “I was worried that I actually upset you! Jerk.”

You slide away from him, and he reaches out for you. “No, no, no, come back, I was just messing with you!” 

You cross your arms, pouting, before allowing him to pull you in for a kiss. When he pulls away, you hear Steve protest behind Bucky, “Hey, I’m mad at you too! I would also like an apology kiss.”

You and Bucky both laugh as he turns to Steve, and pulls him in for a long kiss. When they pull apart, Bucky asks, “Am I forgiven now?”

You shake your head, “No, but I think I have an idea for how you can make it up to us.” You catch Steve’s eye, and he gives you a smirk and a nod of approval. 

Bucky’s voice drops as he asks, “Oh, yeah? And what would that be?”

You smile and quip, “Follow me to the bedroom, and I’ll tell ya.”

You take off running to your shared room with the boys, and Steve and Bucky follow quickly behind, ready to forget all about the scary movie.

-

You settle into the pilot’s seat, and turn your head slightly to ask Steve and Bucky, “You boys ready?”

“Yes!”

“Fire it up!”

You turn and start up the Quinjet, lifting into the sky and pointing it in the direction of home, before putting it on autopilot and joining the boys in the back. As you draw closer to them, you survey the injuries littering their bodies. “Well, I’d say that went well.”

Steve steps closer to you and inspects a cut on your arm, “Couldn’t have been any better.”

“And here I was thinking that a visit to Bucharest couldn’t possibly be worse than the last one.” Bucky prods at a burn on his thigh, “But I should have known.”

You glance at Bucky and both of you are sporting grim expressions before you burst into laughter. “I mean, honestly!” You gasp out between giggles, “What a shit show.”

Steve shakes his head at you both, but cracks a smile. “Wonder if that intel was ever correct.”

“Abandoned since the Cold War, please.” Bucky snorts, “That was the best kept facility I’ve ever seen.”

You shake your head in disbelief, “We should have known.”

Steve levels a look at you, “Hey, I said something about it!”

Bucky puts his hands on his hips, mimicking Steve. “‘Guys, I don’t know about this.’ What kind of warning was that?” 

Bucky’s imitation sends you into another fit of giggles, but before Steve can say anything, an alarm goes off from the front of the Quinjet. 

“ _Shit_.” You jog to the front and check over the systems, before yelling back to the pair. “Buckle up, I have to land it!” 

You scan over the radar and see an island nearby, and you navigate the Quinjet to the island safely, landing it with ease. When it touches down, the boys come running up behind you before you can even turn off the jet. 

“What happened?” You glance back at Bucky and his questioning gaze, before turning back to the controls and powering down the Quinjet.

“Quinjet overheated.” You unbuckle your restraints and stand, just as Steve looks around in concern. 

“What? Overheated? How?”

You smile at him and his constant worry. “It’s no big deal, we just have to let it cool down for an hour or two.”

“Are you sure?”

You nod, and he sighs in relief. Bucky looks out the window and the landscape around you, before muttering, “Where are we?”

You check the coordinates and glance at him. “Ummm, Poveglia Island? Looks like it’s right off the coast of Italy.”

Bucky wiggles his eyebrows at you and Steve suggestively, “Oooo, Italian vacation? I like the sound of that.” You giggle, and he types in the code to lower the ramp of the Quinjet. “Might as well go explore, maybe find some dinner.”

“I’m good with that.” You turn and look at Steve, who’s stayed quiet. “Steve?”

He shakes his head as if he was lost in thought, before turning to you. “Uh, yeah. Dinner sounds good.”

“Great!” Bucky bounds off the jet with excitement and you look at Steve in confusion. 

“Are you okay? You seem…out of it.”

He gives you a half hearted smile. “Yeah, I’m just tired from the mission, that’s all.”

Unconvinced, you reply, “If you say so.”

Before he can retort, Bucky’s voice comes floating towards you both. “Are you two coming?”

Steve grabs your hand, “C’mon, better join him before he loses it.”

You let Steve pull you from the Quinjet, and you both step onto the dying grass of the island. You look around and realize there isn’t much to see. The area you landed on is home to a wall of trees and some dry grass, but not much else. In the distance, you can see the outline of a castle like building, tall and foreboding in the distance. Bucky jogs up to you and Steve, slightly out of breath, and you ask, “Did you find anything, Bucky?” 

“Yeah, it looks like the island is split into two by a little canal and there’s a bridge right around this row of trees.”

You nod, and Steve looks around and back at Bucky again. “Have you seen anybody yet?”

Bucky shakes his head, “No, but I’m sure there’ll be people on the other side. There’s nothing but trees over here.”

You all follow Bucky as he leads you to the bridge, and you eye it warily as it comes into view. “Wait, hold on, you want us to walk on _that_?”

Bucky shrugs, “I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s the only way to the other side of the island, so yeah.”

“ _Bucky_. It’s literally falling apart.”

Bucky laughs, “It’s fine! Just a little weathered.”

You turn to Steve, “Back me up here, that thing looks like it’s one step away from disintegrating!”

“It’s not that bad.” He looks up at the blood red sky. “Besides, the sun is setting. We should probably find somewhere to eat and maybe somewhere to stay before it gets too dark.”

“Fine, but if this bridge breaks and I die, I’m coming back to haunt you both.”

Bucky laughs and rolls his eyes before he starts to cross the bridge. When he’s halfway across, Steve motions for you to follow, before he brings up the rear. When your feet touch the grass on the other side, you let out a quiet sigh of relief, and Steve bumps you with his shoulder. “See, that wasn’t that bad.”

“Right.” You, Steve, and Bucky all stand in silence as you look at the walls that surround the castle like building. The walls are crumbling, large chunks of stone missing and scattered on the ground like dust. Rusted scaffolding scales the walls of the building, wrapped in green vines. But the thing that stands out to you the most, is the silence. It’s deafening. “Guys…something isn’t right here. It’s dead quiet. No boat sounds, no people sounds, and even worse, no animal sounds.”

You look between them, and you’re unsurprised to find that Bucky is unbothered. Steve looks slightly worried, but you can’t tell how much of it is from the island and how much of it is his usual demeanor. “I think we should just wait at the Quinjet. It’ll be cool enough to fly soon.”

Bucky turns to you, looking amused. “What, are you scared?”

“Yes, I’m scared and I’m not afraid to admit it. This place is creepy as hell!”

Steve surprises you by stepping closer to Bucky, and deeper into the island. “Let’s just see if we can find somewhere to eat, and if we don’t find something in the next 20 minutes, or if something seems really wrong, we leave.”

You stare at him, not quite sure you are believing what you’re hearing. But after a moment of consideration, you agree. “Don’t think that I won’t hesitate to leave you behind. You can fight off whatever we’re walking into, and I’ll run to safety.”

Steve gives you a reassuring smile and Bucky lets out a snort of laughter before you all continue up the path and closer to the bell tower. It only takes a few minutes of wandering through the fallen buildings and deteriorating structures for Bucky to come to a conclusion. “I think it’s abandoned.”

You turn to him, “You think?” You pull your phone out of your pocket, ready to google anything you can find on this place. But as you unlock your phone and stare at your screen, a symbol in the corner catches your eye. 

_No signal._

“Shit.” 

Steve and Bucky turn to you. “What, what is it?”

“I don’t have any signal out here! Check your phones.”

Steve pulls his from his pocket and turns it to show you the screen, which mirrors the same message as yours. You both turn to look at Bucky, who’s looking sheepish. “Mine got crushed at the facility in Bucharest.”

“I think we should go back now.”

Bucky groans, “Aw, c’mon, I wanna explore a little more! This place is cool.”

“Bucky, I know you have no sense of fear, but I do, and I’m scared.”

But before he can reply, a rock clatters against the stone floor behind him. You jump and step closer to Steve, and Bucky turns to search behind him. Your voice comes out as a whisper, **“What was that?”**

Bucky turns back to you with a smile, pointing at you playfully. “Very funny. You almost got me.”

You shake your head, “Bucky, that wasn’t me. I was standing right in front of you the entire time.”

Bucky opens his mouth to respond, when another rock hits the stone, this time behind Steve. You let out a scream this time, as your eyes scan the room. The light from the dusk outside makes it difficult to see anything, and dim shadows appear to move just outside of the window. “I just saw something move!”

“Where?” Steve follows your gaze and your pointed finger, searching the darkness outside. “I don’t see anything.”

You turn to Bucky, “Please, can we go?”

“Not until you admit that this is you trying to scare me.”

“Bucky, I swear, I don’t know what’s going on! This isn’t me. Please!”

You scream again when you hear the clang of metal on the stone floor, closer than the other sounds before it. Bucky jumps closer to you and grabs your hand, and when you look up at him, you swear you see fear on his face. Steve wraps his arms around you, as you all stand huddled together, eyes scanning the room. Bucky’s voice is a whisper when he asks, “Swear you’re not doing this.”

You whisper back, slightly exasperated, but 100% terrified. “I know you feel the sweat on my hand, which is from the pure fear I am feeling right now. I swear I’m not doing this. I just want to leave!”

Steve’s voice is low and calm when he says, “Bucky, this can’t be her.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Steve takes charge once again, “The noises are coming from the way we came in, so I think we should find another way out. There’s a hallway connected to the backside of this room that might work.”

You let out a raspy whisper, “Okay.”

Steve leads the way, with you in the middle, and Bucky in the rear. Your hands are all connected with iron grips, and your head is on a swivel as you look back and forth for any movement. You all quietly creep down the hall, silent as possible, as you look for a way out. You hear Bucky let out a sigh of relief when you round a corner and see a doorway to the outside. As you all start to pick up the pace and jog closer to it, a dark figure passes by the frame, freezing you dead in your tracks. Bucky’s grip on your hand tightens as he whispers, “What the hell was that?”

You feel tears prick your eyes as you answer, “I don’t know. Steve, what was that? What do we do?”

Steve takes a deep breath and mutters, “You two stay right here, and I’ll go check it out.”

You grab his hand and pull him closer, “Steve, no, wait! That could be a person or a demon or an animal, or, I don’t know, anything! It’s not safe.”

He presses a kiss to your forehead and leans over to press one on Bucky’s cheek. “I’ll be okay. But we have to get out of here, and I don’t think the way we came from is safe either.”

He steps away and creeps down the hall as you and Bucky watch on, clutching each other in fear. When he reaches the doorway, he peeks out, before stepping out and looking left and right. “It’s clear, c’mon!” 

You and Bucky take off running towards him, and you run through the doorway, stopping as you reach Steve to look around for the dark figure. Before you even check the other side, a scream erupts from inside the building, not far from where you’re currently standing. Without thinking, you take off on the path that leads to the Quinjet, leaving Bucky and Steve behind. They catch up easily and run alongside you, turning to check behind you every few seconds. You reach the rickety bridge and tear across it without fear, stopping as you reach the other side to make sure Steve and Bucky cross. Bucky crosses first, with Steve hot on his heels, before you hear the sound of wood splitting and Steve crying out.

You take off running to Steve and Bucky turns and joins you, and you look down and see that Steve’s leg has fallen through a hole in the bridge. The wood has scraped his leg as he fell through, causing him to bleed. You and Bucky start to pull him up slowly, careful to avoid the wounds. When Steve is halfway free, another scream tears from the wooded path that you were all just on moments before. You all turn towards it, looking for the source of the sound, when another scream rings out, even closer. You and Bucky look at each other and then turn to Steve, and Bucky mutters, “sorry” before pulling Steve out and scraping over the cuts again. Steve grunts as he wraps an arm around Bucky’s shoulder, and Bucky turns to you, eyes wide. “Go, get the Quinjet started!”

You nod and take off running again, before stopping at the jet to lower the ramp and run inside. You plop into the seat and start flipping switches and turning on the controls, nearly crying with relief when the jet powers up with no problems. You hear motion behind you and turn quickly, relieved to see Bucky and Steve coming up the ramp. As Bucky gets Steve situated, you lift the ramp, before jogging up to the front and starting to strap in. As you fumble with your restraints, something hits the Quinjet outside, causing it to lift off the ground. You scream and Bucky yells out, “WHAT WAS THAT?!”

A second thump lifts the Quinjet again, and Bucky starts yelling, “Go, go, go! Get us out of here!”

You lift the Quinjet off the ground, and speed away from the island, heart still pounding with fear.

-

Steve stands from the desk and turns off the lamp, before turning to look at the bed, smiling. You and Bucky are impossibly close, tangled up together in a mess of limbs, sleeping surprisingly sound. Unable to sleep after the days events, he limps to the kitchen in search of something to eat. When he steps inside, he is surprised to find Tony leaning against the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Tony smiles when he sees him, “Want one?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” Steve settles into one of the chairs at the table, as Tony walks over and sets a cup in front of him, before sitting down next to him. “Thanks.”

Tony nods as Steve takes a sip, and he glances down at his bandaged leg. “How ya feeling?”

Steve sets the cup down. “Good. I’m already healing, so it shouldn’t be a problem for too much longer. That bridge did a number on me though.”

“Yeah, I heard about your ghost adventures. Sounds like it was something else.”

Steve lets out a quiet chuckle, “Yeah, it was. Despite all of Bucky’s big talk, he was actually pretty scared.”

Tony lets out a laugh, “I don’t know. When I hit the side of that Quinjet, I’d say he was pretty terrified.”


End file.
